Wow, talk about different points of view! To me, the word
neck means the entire structure. Not only that, it usually carries the connotation of meaning the view from the front or the side. Most of the time, I specifically say "the back of the neck", to make the distinction that that is the
specific part I'm referring to!
On the other hand, the word throat in certain contexts does mean the front of the neck, as in, "to encourage your pet to swallow a pill, gently massage its throat in a downward motion".